The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday firmly dismissed a parent's challenge to its proposal of imposing a hefty ₹50,000 fine on parents if banned nylon manja is found in the possession of a minor. The court underscored that parental supervision concerns cannot eclipse the paramount duty of safeguarding public life.
Parent's Argument Meets Stern Rebuke
The plea was filed by a parent, Mohammed Altaf Ahmed Khan, who argued that the proposed penalty was excessive. He contended that in today's world, with both parents often working full-time, it is impossible to monitor children constantly, especially during the kite-flying season, and that children frequently do not heed parental advice.
However, a division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode expressed strong oral disapproval of this argument. The bench made it clear that the issue of deadly nylon manja is treated with the utmost seriousness and not as a mere formality. They described the objection as "beyond seriousness and inappropriate," emphasizing that public safety cannot be compromised by such reasoning.
Court's Firm Stand on Supervision and Safety
Taking a pointed tone, the bench observed that children typically do not fly kites at night, and parents are expected to supervise them during the limited daylight hours when such activity occurs. The court rejected the parent's request to defer the hearing by 15 days, reiterating that the proceedings are aimed at preventing further loss of life and injuries.
This stern stance comes in the backdrop of the court's earlier proposal, which also includes a fine of ₹2.5 lakh on sellers or suppliers of the banned kite string. The case is a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initiated based on media reports, including from TOI, highlighting fatal accidents.
The Tragic Incidents Behind the PIL
The court's proactive intervention stems from heartbreaking incidents in 2021, where two young men lost their lives due to nylon manja. Pranay Thakre, a 23-year-old engineering student, and 22-year-old Saurabh Patankar died after their throats were lacerated by the sharp, non-biodegradable strings while they were simply traversing roads.
The bench explicitly stated that its duty to prevent such tragedies overrides arguments about the practical difficulties of parental supervision. The message from the Nagpur Bench is unequivocal: holding guardians accountable is a necessary step in the larger fight to eradicate the deadly menace of nylon manja from public spaces.
